House of York

The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, and the Yorkists held the throne of England from 1461 to 1485: Edward IV of England, Edward V of England, and Richard III of England belonged to the house. In 1459, Richard of York, the great-grandson of King Edward III of England, rebelled against the mentally-unstable Henry VI of England, beginning the Wars of the Roses. The House of York, symbolized by the white rose, seized power in 1461, and it fought against the rival House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose. In 1485, the Yorkists suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field, during which King Richard III was slain. Henry Tudor, now known as "King Henry VII of England", married Elizabeth of York to unite the families of England, creating the House of Tudor.